Reflections
by ElizabethDarcy78
Summary: Hicks, Newt and Ripley all reflect upon the tumultuous events that have led them to their present circumstances. Ripley/Hicks. Rated M for harsh language and sexual content. Ellen Ripley, Dwayne Hicks, Rebecca 'Newt' Jorden, Bishop, Jenette Vasquez, Wiliam Hudson, William Gorman. I do not own these characters but I do own this little bit of fan fiction.
1. Dwayne's Perspective

It was a beautiful day to get married. The sun was shining and the weather was perfect as it usually was in Southern California...not too hot with little humidity.

Dwayne Hicks stood at the front of the marine base chapel waiting anxiously for his best man to arrive. He was getting married today...the sheer enormity of that fact wasn't lost on him. If he were being honest with himself, this was a rite of passage that he'd never imagined he would be taking, especially not in the midst of that catastrophic failure of a mission on LV-426.

But there he was, donning his dress blues and waiting to take what was likely to be the most important step of his life...now if only Hudson would show up!

Hicks sighed and looked at his watch. The ceremony was set to start in ten minutes. _Jesus!_ Hicks thought. _Hudson was never one for punctuality, but this was ridiculous. If he'd known that Hudson was going to be this unreliable, he would've picked someone else._ Hicks shook his head and smirked. No, that wasn't true. In addition to being a member of his former squad, Hudson was his best friend. They had been through a lot and there was no one else that he would've wanted to stand up with him today.

Hicks shifted his weight and sighed once more and he allowed his mind to wander back to those strange series of events which conspired to bring him and everyone that he loved to the point that they were at today.

It all started when their squad had been assigned to what they wrongfully assumed was another routine bug hunt. They had just returned from another mission and were due for some R and R and they were all burned-out...Hudson, whose time was up in six weeks was particularly antsy to get home.

They'd been assigned a new CO for this mission, one who didn't impress Hicks much, and they had two civilians that they had to look out for too, some JO named Burke who worked for the Company, and a woman, a consultant named Ripley... _Ellen_.

He remembered it like it was yesterday; the first time that he saw her. He was coming out of a deep hypersleep when he saw her in her cryotube across the aisle from him, stretching like a cat. She was beautiful, tall and lean, with porcelain skin and a mop of curly dark hair on her head. She was wearing very little, as they all were-clad only in their underwear, and he remembered thinking that a simple undershirt and panties suited her very well.

He remembered thinking during the briefing that even though she'd made an effort to appear strong in front of them, that she seemed very fragile and he felt an urge to protect her. She'd been through this before, and she was clearly terrified of what they were about to face...and with good reason.

He chuckled at the thought of her manipulating that power loader...better than Spunkmeyer ever had! He was getting hard just thinking about it so he redirected his thoughts elsewhere.

Most of his unit thought that Ellen was unnecessary baggage, but he knew better. She'd quickly proven herself indispensable when Gorman had flaked out and their mission into the alien hive had turned deadly and most of their squad had been killed or cocooned. She'd rescued them, crashing the APC through the pressure doors at the processing station and saved his ass, as well as Hudson's and Vasquez's.

Ellen had been the one to assert to Burke that with Gorman out of commission, that he was now the ranking officer, and he'd had no problem agreeing with her plan to nuke the colony from space. When the drop ship crashed, taking with it any chance that they might have had of escaping, she, along with him devised a plan to keep the aliens at bay for as long as possible. She also managed to keep Hudson from losing it completely.

As they worked together over the next few hours, there were quite a few moments where he felt his attraction to her deepening, and he was fairly certain from the looks that she had giving him that the feeling was mutual. Had the situation been different, he probably would have tried to kiss her. He knew that that idea was out of the question: that they needed to focus solely on surviving. But he knew that if they did make if off of that rock alive, that the first thing he wanted to do when they got back was ask her for a date.

That rat-fuck son of a bitch Burke had other ideas though, and let those face huggers loose in MedLab in some ill-conceived plan to smuggle aliens past IPC quarantine. His chest tightened as he thought about just how close he had come to losing both Ellen and Newt. But Ellen had managed to alert them to their distress and they'd saved them. Shortly thereafter they'd escaped...all of them, with the exception of Burke, through the ventilation system. In one final act of cowardice the asshole had blocked their escape route, effectively sealing himself in with one of those bastards and getting himself cocooned. Nobody mourned him.

They hadn't made it out unscathed however. Vasquez had sustained serious acid burns to her legs when she'd shot one of the xenomorphs with her pistol as they were escaping through the ventilation system. Gorman had managed to pull her to safety as Hudson fought more of them off, but unfortunately Vasquez would never walk again without the aid of prosthetics. He himself bore the evidence of a xenomorph attack, his face showcasing a myriad of scars and a ruined left eye from when he'd shot one of those fuckers at point blank range. He was able to shield Ripley and Newt from the alien's acid blood, but the blood had splattered all over his chest plate and the vapors had risen up and burned the left side of his face and left arm. Ripley was able to remove his armor before the acid could do further damage and she and Newt dragged him to the landing pad where Bishop had the second drop ship waiting. Gorman, Vasquez and Hudson followed a short while later, with Gorman carrying Vasquez, and they quickly took off. They were safely in orbit by the time the atmosphere processor blew.

Once they had arrived back at Gateway safely and had been through quarantine, Gorman had availed himself at the formal inquest, explaining what had truly happened on LV-426 and absolving everyone of any wrongdoing perceived by the Company. Bishop's data banks corroborated the Lieutenant's story as well. Gorman personally commended both he and Ripley for their bravery and leadership. As a result, he was promoted to sergeant, a move which both Vasquez and Hudson applauded enthusiastically, and Ripley was reinstated as a flight officer, as a lieutenant.

The promotion came with a few perks; he was able to pick his next assignment, Earth, and he was able to help Ellen find a job as a pilot, transporting cargo from Earth to Gateway for the Marines. She thought it was boring but it was predictable and safe and it enabled her to be home on Earth every night for dinner with Newt.

Ellen had had little difficulty adopting Newt since she had no living relatives, and they were able to find a place to live near base. It was close to Ellen's job and Newt's school, and it wasn't very far from the barracks so they were close to him too.

He'd accepted a position training young marine recruits for combat; fighting aliens. His injuries were too severe for him to ever see combat himself again, a fact that Ellen found reassuring. Unfortunately even after many months his face and chest still ached from the acid burns he'd sustained. His left eye had been severely damaged and was sealed shut, the result of too much time having lapsed before he was able to seek adequate medical attention. He now wore an eyepatch. Newt sometimes teased him innocently, calling him a pirate and Ellen would reprimand her. He could never get mad at the girl however, because the kind of teasing he'd received from Newt was similar to that which a younger sister gives an older brother. He was fine with that. He was happy to see a spark returning to her eyes. The poor girl had experienced horrors that no one should ever have to experience, let alone someone so young. He was very glad that she was acting like a typical little girl again.

He did miss combat though, he wouldn't lie. But he knew that his first-hand knowledge was invaluable to the marines, and he never wanted any further squads to head out half-cocked on "bug hunts" like his had...completely unprepared for the threat they would be facing. He liked his job alright, and he was fine with remaining Earthside for a while.

Unlike himself, Hudson had gotten out. Vasquez too, though her injuries were severe enough that she'd received an honorable discharge. She remained at Gateway however, wanting to stay close to her physical therapists. Unbelievably to those who knew her well, she also wanted to be close to Gorman. In her eyes Gorman had undone almost all his previous damage by risking his life to save hers when they all were trying to escape from LV-426. She could forgive most of his failings as a commanding officer, but she would never be able to forgive him for the lapses in judgement that had led to her friend Drake's death. Gorman was going to try to win her over though. Apparently he'd been nursing a crush on her since they first met.

Hudson went home to his family in Texas. He'd served his time in the corps and he had a girl waiting for him that he was itching to marry. He certainly couldn't fault the guy for that. He hadn't seen or heard much from him in months, but once the invitations had gone out, Hudson had called and congratulated Ellen and himself and had happily agreed to serve as his best man. Now if he would only show up, they could get things under way!

"Hey Hicks, man." Hudson said suddenly, clapping Hicks on the back and startling him out of his thoughts. "Sorry I'm late. Traffic from the station was a bitch."

Hicks felt a mixture of annoyance and relief at Hudson's belated arrival. He turned to look at the younger man. Hudson looked good...tanned and healthy and grinning like a schoolboy. Marriage clearly agreed with him. He was wearing civvies...a nice suit, which was something he'd never thought he'd see. Hudson was happy, which was something he couldn't say the last time he'd seen him, he thought grimly.

Hudson's face fell when he saw the serious expression on Hicks' face. "What's the matter man? You look like you're headed to your own funeral. You nervous about getting hitched? Take it from an expert. It's pretty easy, you just say 'I do' whenever anyone asks you a question."

Hicks laughed. He had missed Hudson...not his bellyaching, but there was nobody in his old unit who could make him laugh like Hudson could. He reached over and placed his hand on Hudson's shoulder and squeezed it affectionately.

"Thanks for doing this, Bill. It really means a lot to us." Hicks said sincerely. He clenched his jaw as he tried to keep his emotions in check.

Hudson started at Hicks' use of his first name and serious mien and he looked at him quizzically.

"Come on." Hudson scoffed. " _Dwayne_ Hicks, 'the walking sex organ' is getting married, and to Ripley of all people? You know I wouldn't miss this for the world!" Hudson said grinning.

Hicks smirked and was about to retort when the the organist began playing, signaling that the ceremony was about to begin. The two men brought themselves up to attention as the doors in the back of the chapel opened.

Newt entered first, performing her duty as the one and only bridesmaid perfectly. She was wearing a simple blue dress which matched her eyes perfectly, and her golden hair fell past her shoulders, gleaming in the sunlight that poured in from the skylights above.

Hicks got choked up as he watched her coming down the aisle. She had come so far since coming to Earth. Gone was the dirty little urchin who had bitten his hand out of sheer terror. In her place was the beautiful little girl before him whom he adored very much.

Newt for her part was flourishing on Earth. She was attending school and getting excellent marks. She had made several friends and her nightmares had all but disappeared. Ellen still went in to check on her every night even when there were no sounds coming from her room, just to be sure.

Newt beamed as she walked down the aisle carrying a bouquet of white lilies. Once she reached the front of the chapel, Hicks leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

"Hey Squirt." He said affectionately. "You clean up real nice."

Newt grinned and whispered excitedly into Hicks' ear. "Wait 'till you see Ripley!"

At that moment, a hush fell over the crowd of well-wishers as Ellen appeared in the doorway, escorted by Bishop. The guests all rose to their feet and Ellen began her walk down the aisle towards him.

Ellen took his breath away. She was wearing what could only be described as a jawdroppingly gorgeous ivory gown. Her arms and shoulders were exposed, and the neckline dipped just low enough that there was a hint of cleavage. The gown was cut very slim though the hips, and though there was little to no evidence of it on the outside, he was very aware of the fact inside of her, a new life...their child was growing and would make its way into the world in just a few short months.

Ellen looked radiant. Her eyes were bright and her cheeks had a rosy glow. Her hair, having grown out considerably, fell to just above her shoulders in soft chesnut waves that he itched to touch. He broke into a broad grin as she came to stand next to him at the front of the chapel and he couldn't restrain himself from kissing her on the cheek, eliciting a laugh from Hudson. She looked absolutely beautiful.

The ceremony was brief and formal and a complete blur. Before he knew it, they had exchanged rings and vows and the minister had pronounced them husband and wife.

They turned towards each other and he reached out and took Ellen's face in his hands and kissed her on the lips. The guests immediately erupted into thunderous applause. When he opened his eyes he was surprised to see that Ellen had tears glistening in her eyes. Before he could inquire about it, Ellen had turned towards the crowd and raised her bouquet in triumph. She then tossed it, aiming squarely at Vasquez who was standing in the front row next to Gorman. Vasquez looked at her with a horrified expression.

"You're next!" Ellen said, grinning wickedly and Vasquez's cheeks turned bright red.

They walked arm and arm down the aisle as the crowd threw white rose petals at them. Once they were outside of the chapel, he took Ellen, who by now was openly weeping to an empty corridor.

"Are you alright?" He asked, his brow furrowed in concern. "This is supposed to be a happy occasion, you know."

Ellen chuckled. "I know. I am happy. I just found myself thinking during the service about how we got here...all of us, and and I guess I just became a little overwhelmed."

Hicks nodded, astonished that once again their minds were so in sync. He handed Ellen his handkerchief and she dabbled at her eyes, being careful not to smear her mascara. She cleared her throat and then placed her hands squarely on his shoulders, looking him straight in the eye.

"You know I love you, right?" Ellen asked.

He smiled. "Yeah, I know. I love you too."

Ellen sighed in relief. "Good. It's just...I know that that's not something that we say out loud very often to each other because that's not how we are. But Dwayne, I can't imagine my life without you in it anymore. I don't want to! You and Newt, you're everything to me. You're my family and I love you both with all my heart."

It was his' turn to get misty-eyed at Ellen's impassioned speech. He cupped her cheek and gently drew her face towards his and kissed her passionately. After taking a moment to recover his composure, he began a speech of his own...one which was long overdue.

"Ellen, I was drawn to you from the first moment I saw you. You were the only one who truly knew what the hell was going on and without you, we all would've died on that rock, I'm sure of it. You saved my life...twice, and I will always be indebted to you for that, as well as for saving the lives of what remained of my team."

"But that's not why I married you. And it's _not_ just because I knocked you up either." He said jokingly, smiling as she blushed profusely. "I married you because I love you and I admire the hell out of you, Ellen. You are the bravest, smartest, most beautiful woman I have ever known and I would follow you to hell and back."

Ellen sighed and regarded him silently. Hicks suddenly felt very self-conscious, as though he'd said too much. He removed his hat and nervously ran his hand over his freshly shorn crew cut. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

Ellen chuckled and shook her head. "No. Far from it, actually." Ellen reached over and ran her fingers lightly over the scars that marred his otherwise handsome face. "You're perfect."

Hicks captured her fingers in his and brought them to his lips, kissing them softly. He then took her hand in his and brought it to rest on the crook of his elbow. "Come on. We need to join the others. This party is in our honor, you know."

Ripley smiled warmly at her husband and allowed him to lead the way to the reception hall next door.

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTES:** Part II will be from Newt's perspective.


	2. Newt's Perspective

This has been the best day! Newt thought to herself as she waved goodbye to Ripley and Hicks from the backseat of her friend's mother's car. She would be staying with her friend Suzie Parker for the weekend, and this would enable Ripley and Hicks to spend some time alone together after their wedding. Newt was more than happy to give them this opportunity, but at the same time, she was a little nervous about spending the weekend away from her new family. She hadn't been separated from Ripley for longer than a few hours since they'd first arrived on Earth, and while she was looking forward to staying up late and going to the beach with her friend, a small part of her was anxious about not being under the same roof as the woman who had become her new mother. Newt shook her head in disgust with herself. She was being ridiculous. She would be perfectly safe with the Parkers. Earth was about as safe as it gets, and the Parkers were good, slightly overprotective parents. They had assured Ripley and Hicks before leaving the reception that they wouldn't let Newt out of their sights if they took her anywhere, even for a minute. The Parkers were going to make sure that she had a fantastic weekend and then afterwards she would be reunited with Ripley and Hicks. They were going to be living in their new house on base and they would finally all be under one roof together, just like a typical family.

Newt sighed dreamily as she rest her head against the seat. It really had been a beautiful wedding...not that she'd had anything to compare it to. She had been born and raised at Hadley's Hope, but there had never been a wedding at the colony that she was aware of. This wasn't altogether surprising. Acheron was such a dark and dreary planet...nothing at all like Earth. Newt sighed deeply and stared out of the car window. Thinking about Hadley's Hope brought back memories of her other family. Most of the memories were happy, but some were very, very sad. She missed her mom, dad and Timmy every day, but over the last few months the pain of losing her biological family had begun to lessen considerably. She loved living with Ripley and she had begun to think of her and Hicks as her new parents, but she knew deep in her heart that she would never forget her other family.

But thinking about Ripley and Hicks and their new life in California brought a smile back to her face. She loved living on Earth. It was so sunny and warm! She'd gone to beach a number of times with Ripley and Hicks and they always had the best time. On their first trip to the beach, Hicks had taught her how to swim. Then the next time that they went he surprised her by picking her up and tossing her into the water. She'd been mad at him at first, but she'd gotten even by chasing after him and dunking his head under water...although she suspected that he'd allowed her to get him. Ripley just sat on the beach and watched them roughhousing with a big smile on her face.

Newt chuckled at the memory, shaking her head in amusement. Her attention was then drawn to the bouquet of lilies that was sitting on her lap. Seeing the flowers reminded her of something interesting that had happened during the wedding. Immediately following the ceremony, Ripley turned around and faced the crowd and tossed her bouquet directly at Vasquez who was sitting in the front row next to Lieutenant Gorman. Vasquez was surprised but she managed to catch the bouquet with little trouble. Her cheeks also turned pink. But what surprised her the most was the fact that Gorman's face also turned bright red. After making that discovery, Newt decided to watch Vasquez and Gorman for the rest of the day. She noticed that Gorman was being incredibly sweet to Vasquez: pulling her chair out for her at dinner, offering her his arm anytime they walked anywhere, draping her shawl around her shoulders when there was a slight chill in the air? They even danced a slow dance together.

Gorman wasn't a bad guy...he was certainly better than Burke, but he had never been one of her favorite people. Now after having observed him with Vasquez she thought that she may need to revise her opinion of him. He did save Vasquez's life rescuing her in the ventilation system. He also defended Ripley and Hicks in front of that review board which ensured that they would both be promoted. But she supposed that his biggest selling point was that Vasquez liked him...and she trusted Vasquez.

While she had been very happy to see Vasquez, Newt had to admit that what she had been looking forward to most was seeing Hudson again. She hadn't seen him since the Sulaco had docked at Gateway. Hudson didn't arrive at the wedding until a few minutes before it began so she didn't get the chance to talk to him. But Hudson made up for his tardiness by asking her to dance during the reception. He spun her around like a top so that her skirt twirled around her and she squealed with delight. She had danced earlier with Hicks and with Bishop (who were both surprisingly good dancers) but she had had the most fun with Hudson. She would never admit this to anyone, but she had developed a huge crush on Hudson after he saved her from that facehugger in MedLab, and she planned to marry him someday.

Newt was grinning from ear to ear when Hudson led her from the dance to the dining area. When they arrived at Hudson's table, Newt had been very surprised when Hudson introduced her to the young woman sitting there. The woman's name was Louise and when she stood up to greet Newt, she saw that Louise's stomach was very round, like a basketball.

Apparently Hudson had gotten married, and he and his wife were expecting a baby. Newt feigned happiness for the couple, but the truth of the matter was that her heart was breaking in two. Hudson was supposed to wait for her to grow up and marry her! This wasn't fair!

Newt shook the woman's hand and then excused herself abruptly. She ran to the ladies' room and cried her eyes out for a little while. She knew in her heart that she was being ridiculous, but she couldn't help it. All of her dreams had been crushed in the span of a few minutes

After her last tear had fallen and she'd dried her eyes, she walked out of the bathroom with the intention of returning to the reception. On her way back to the ballroom she stopped in her tracks. There at the end of the corridor stood Ripley and Hicks and they were kissing...and not just polite kissing like they did during the wedding ceremony. Real kissing.

In spite of herself Newt found herself staring at them. Seeing them kissing like that, completely unaware of anyone else around them brought back memories of the first time that she saw them kissing on the Sulaco.

They had just awakened from hypersleep and were set to dock at Gateway in a couple of hours. Bishop and Vasquez were in the infirmary but everyone else was showering and/or getting dressed. After a nice warm shower, Ripley gave her some clean clothes to wear...one of Ripley's t-shirts and a pair of Vasquez's pants. Ripley then asked Newt to wait for her in the mess hall with Hudson and Gorman so that she could tend to Hicks. Newt agreed and sat down to eat some sausage and cornbread with Hudson and Gorman.

After what seemed like a very long time, Newt grew antsy and decided to go exploring the ship. The Sulaco was fascinating...there were so many nooks and crannies that she could hide in if she ever needed to. She walked gingerly around the drop ship and looked with curiosity at the two power loaders. Eventually she found herself back in the locker room. She rounded the corner and gasped when she came upon Ripley helping Hicks change into a clean set of fatigues. She immediately hid behind a row of lockers so that she could watch them undetected.

Newt watched in fascination as Ripley helped Hicks step into a new pair of trousers, and then she held his shirt out for him helping him ease into the clean uniform shirt. Hicks winced in pain as he pushed his arms through the sleeves, and then Ripley moved quickly to button his shirt up for him. Hicks wasn't wearing an undershirt and Newt could see that he still had thick bandages over the left side of his chest.

When Ripley was finished she looked Hicks in the eye and Newt had to hold her hand over her mouth to keep herself from squealing with excitement when Hicks reached out to touch Ripley's face and then pulled her face towards his and then kissed her on the lips.

Newt had lost track of how long she had been standing there when she heard Hudson's voice call out from elsewhere in the ship. "Newt! Hey kid, where the fuck are you? Ripley will have my ass in a sling if you get lost."

Hudson's voice drew Ripley's attention and she immediately broke contact with Hicks' lips, but not before Hudson skidded to a stop at the entrance to the locker room and found where Newt was hiding AND witnessed Ripley and Hicks kissing.

"Well it's about fucking time." Hudson said grinning. "I was wondering how long it would take for you two to hook up! I bet Vasquez fifty bucks that it would be before we docked, but she didn't think Hicks was man enough to put the moves on Ripley yet. Boy was she wrong." Hudson clapped Hicks on the back. "Thanks man!" Ripley turned bright red and looked down at the floor, and Hicks shook his head, chuckling softly.

Hudson then schooled his features into a very serious expression and turned to Newt.

"Listen kid, you should know better than to disappear like that..especially after all of the shit that just went down. All of us here, even Gorman care about what happens to you. You got it?"

Newt nodded solemnly. "Yes. I'm sorry Hudson."

Hudson smirked and then pulled her in for a big hug, cradling her head protectively. "That's all right kid. Just don't let it happen again, all right?"

Newt nodded and put her arms around Hudson's waist. "All right."

Newt breathed a huge sigh which drew the attention of Ripley and Hicks. They immediately stopped kissing and they hurried over to where she was standing.

"Newt? Are you all right?" Ripley said with concern. "You look like you've been crying,"

Newt didn't want to admit that she had been crying because Hudson was married, so she said the first thing that popped into her head.

"I'm just really going to miss you guys this weekend."

Newt regretted those words as soon as they left her mouth. No one deserved a break more than Ripley and Hicks did. Ripley was a great mom and they both worked so hard and they hadn't ever had one night alone together.

Ripley and Hicks looked at each other with worried expressions on their faces. Hicks nodded as they came to some sort of silent agreement and then he knelt down in front of her.

"Honey, your mother and I understand if you're scared...believe me. You don't have to stay with your friend this weekend if you don't want to. You can come home with us."

Newt shook her head adamantly. "No! I want to. I've never been to a sleepover before. It'll be fun! You and Ripley need some time alone this weekend...without me and Bishop hanging around. I'll be fine."

Hicks looked at her questioningly. "All right, but only if you're sure."

Newt nodded and then Hicks wrapped his arms around her and hugged her affectionately. He then reached up and mussed her hair a little and she swatted his hand away playfully. "Hey! Stop it, Hicks!" She exclaimed giggling.

Hicks grinned wickedly and stood up to his full height. Ripley came to stand next to him and he immediately put his arm around her waist, drawing her closer to him and kissing her temple. It was almost as though he had to be in physical contact with Ripley at all times. Seeing them being so affectionate with each other in public made Newt smile. It was really sweet. They made each other so happy.

"I'm so glad that you're going to be living with us now Hicks." Newt said suddenly. "It will be so great having all of us under one roof. We'll finally be a real family."

Hicks' eyebrows shot up in surprise at Newt's words. "I am too, squirt." Newt knew that he meant it too.

Newt was jolted to the present when the Parker's car pulled to a stop in their car port.

"Newt, honey, we're so happy that you will be staying with us this weekend!" Mrs. Parker said enthusiastically as she turned the car off and turned around to look at her. "It's been all Suzie could talk about this week! She has some fun things planned for you two this weekend. Have you been to the zoo yet? It's the best in the country. Would you like to go to the beach...did you pack a swimming suit? If not, I'm sure Suzie has one that you can borrow. Would you like to order a pizza later, or are you still too full from the reception?"

"Mom! Calm down! Give Newt a chance to answer one of your zillions of questions please, sheesh!" Suzie said, rolling her eyes at her mother's exuberant reaction to their houseguest.

Newt giggled. "Pizza would be great Mrs. Parker...and I did bring my bathing suit just in case...and I would love to go to the zoo again if you all want to go."

Mrs. Parker smiled. "That's wonderful, dear. We want to make sure that you have a wonderful time staying here with us, so that you'll be willing to come back again soon."

"Mom!" Suzie exclaimed in annoyance.

Newt giggled and followed the Parkers into their house. She was amused by the Parkers' mother daughter bickering, but then out of nowhere she felt sad as thoughts about her biological mother crept into her mind. She would never get to have little stupid arguments like the one that the Parkers were having with her mother, or get into trouble with her father for staying out past curfew...or get into trouble with both of her parents for fighting with Timmy.

But then she thought about how lucky she was that Ripley and Hicks found her when they did, and thinking about Hicks' and Ripley's smiling faces when they first discovered her in her hiding place made her laugh and she began to feel a lot better. She knew that things wouldn't always be perfect with her new family. She was certain that she and Ripley would eventually have similar mother daughter battles to the one that the Parkers were having now. And she was certain that Hicks would likely be a very overprotective father once they were all living together. But she knew that they loved her and that they would have a great life together...along with her new baby brother or sister! No one had told her that Ripley was pregnant yet, but she'd known several women on Hadley's Hope who'd had babies so she knew the tell-tale signs. She couldn't wait to have that conversation!


End file.
